JP2019027902A - Tire inspection device and method for inspecting tire - Google Patents

Abstract

To surely detect a gas leakage of a tire easily and quickly.SOLUTION: There is provided a tire inspection device 1 having a gas sensor 2 arranged near the outer surfaces 103 and 104 of a tire 101 to detect gas filled in the tire 101 at the outside of the tire 101. The tire inspection device 1 also includes a plurality of gas sensors 2 arranged separately.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a tire inspection apparatus and a tire inspection method.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of immersing a part of a tire in a liquid filled in a container in order to inspect air leakage (gas leakage) of the tire attached to the motorcycle.

JP, 2006-049818, A

In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to visually confirm the presence or absence of gas leakage in the tire. However, since tire defects (for example, holes) that cause gas leakage are often fine, it is difficult to visually confirm gas leakage of the tire.
Furthermore, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires a step of drying the liquid adhering to the tire after the inspection (drying step), so that the tire gas leak inspection is troublesome. Moreover, there also exists a problem that the time required for the gas leak test | inspection of a tire will become long by including a drying process.

Note that conventional gas leak inspection methods include a method (chamber method) in which a gas sensor leaks gas leaked from a hollow object (workpiece) placed in a sealed container while the sealed container is in a vacuum state. There is also a method (sniffer method) for detecting gas leaking from a workpiece by bringing a probe including two gas sensors close to the outer surface of the workpiece by a human hand.
However, the rubber material that occupies the main part of the tire has properties such as elasticity and gas permeability, is easily deformed, and can pass a very small amount of gas even under normal circumstances. For this reason, a method for inspecting a tire by a conventional inspection method (chamber method, sniffer method) has not been considered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a tire inspection apparatus and a tire inspection method that can easily and reliably inspect tire gas leakage in a short time.

  One aspect of the present invention is a tire inspection apparatus including a gas sensor that is disposed in the vicinity of an outer surface of a tire and detects a gas filled in the tire outside the tire.

  One aspect of the present invention includes a closing step for closing an opening of a tire, a filling step for filling the tire with gas, and a detection step for detecting the gas filled in the tire in the atmosphere outside the tire. A tire inspection method provided.

  According to the present invention, the gas leaking from the tire is detected by the gas sensor, so that the gas leak of the tire can be inspected easily and reliably in a short time.

It is a figure showing composition of a tire inspection device concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the gas sensor in the tire inspection apparatus of FIG. 1, and the structural example of a moving means. It is a perspective view which shows the structural example of the gas sensor in the tire inspection apparatus of FIG. It is a perspective view showing the example of the 1st composition of the additional tire inspection device of the tire inspection system concerning a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a VV arrow sectional view of Drawing 4. It is a perspective view which shows the 2nd structural example of the additional tire inspection apparatus of the tire inspection system which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the 2nd structural example of the additional tire test | inspection apparatus of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the tire inspection apparatus which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structural example of the accommodating part in the tire inspection apparatus of FIG. 8, the example of arrangement | positioning of a gas sensor, and the structural example of a stirring means. It is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the tire inspection apparatus which concerns on 3rd embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the tire inspection method which concerns on 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the tire inspection method which concerns on 2nd embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the other structural example of the gas sensor in the tire inspection apparatus of FIG.

[First embodiment]
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a tire 101 to be inspected for gas leakage in this embodiment is used for a vehicle or the like, and is formed in an annular shape or a cylindrical shape by an elastic material such as rubber. . On the outer surface of the tire 101 in the present embodiment, a cylindrical ground surface 102 that extends along the axis A1 of the tire 101, and a circle that is connected to both ends of the ground surface 102 in the axial direction and intersects (for example, orthogonally) the axis A1. And annular side surfaces 103 and 104. The side surfaces 103 and 104 of the tire 101 may be formed flat, for example, or may be curved. The tire 101 is open at both ends in the axial direction. For this reason, when inspecting the gas leakage of the tire 101, the openings at both ends of the tire 101 are closed by the pair of lid portions 105 and 106 as illustrated in FIG.

  The gas filled in the tire 101 at the time of gas leakage inspection may be various gases (reactive gases) that react with the gas sensor 2 such as hydrogen gas, helium gas, argon gas, and carbon dioxide gas. The gas to be detected may be a mixed gas containing a reactive gas (for example, a mixed gas of 5% hydrogen gas and 95% nitrogen). For example, a gas having a low viscosity (for example, a gas having a lower viscosity than air injected into the tire 101 during use) may be selected as the reaction gas.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the tire inspection apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a gas sensor 2.
The gas sensor 2 is disposed to face (close to) the outer surface of the tire 101. The gas sensor 2 (especially a detection surface 13 described later) is preferably disposed closer to the outer surface of the tire 101 as long as it does not contact the outer surface (the ground contact surface 102, the side surfaces 103, 104) of the tire 101. The gas sensor 2 detects the gas filled in the tire 101 on the outside of the tire 101. The gas sensor 2 detects the reaction gas described above or a mixed gas containing the reaction gas. The gas sensor 2 detects the concentration of the reaction gas. The gas sensor 2 outputs the detected concentration of the reaction gas as an electric signal (for example, a voltage value).

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 13, the gas sensor 2 of the present embodiment includes a sensor main body (detection unit) 11 that detects gas and an expansion unit 12 having an opening having a larger area than the sensor main body 11.
The sensor body 11 has a detection surface 13 for detecting gas. The detection surface 13 may be, for example, an opening that takes gas into the inside. The extended portion 12 has an opening having a larger area than the detection surface 13 (or opening) of the sensor body 11. The extended portion 12 is formed so as to surround the detection surface 13 (or opening) of the sensor body 11. The extension part 12 may be formed integrally with the sensor body 11, for example, or may be detachably attached to the sensor body 11, for example.
The gas sensor 2 may be arranged so that at least a part of the opening of the expansion portion 12 faces the outer surface of the tire 101.

The specific shape of the expansion part 12 may be arbitrary. As illustrated in FIG. 3A, the extended portion 12 may be formed in a box shape or a bowl shape that opens only in the direction in which the detection surface 13 faces (the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIG. 3A). In this case, the sensor body 11 is arranged so that the detection surface 13 faces the outer surface of the tire 101.
As illustrated in FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, FIG. 3D, and FIG. 13A, the extended portion 12 is formed in the direction in which the detection surface 13 faces (FIG. 3B, FIG. c), in one direction along the detection surface 13 (FIGS. 3B, 3C, and 3C) that opens in the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIGS. 3D and 13A. d) It may be formed so as to open in the direction indicated by arrow Y in FIG. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 3D, the extension portion 12 is formed so as to open on both sides in one direction, and gas may pass through the extension portion 12 through the openings on both sides of the extension portion 12. Good. Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 3B, 3 </ b> C, and 13 </ b> A, the extension portion 12 is formed so as to open only on one side in one direction, and the opening on one side of the extension portion 12 is formed. The gas that has entered the inside of the extension portion 12 from the inside may be prevented from passing through the extension portion 12.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 3E and 13B, the extended portion 12 opens in the direction in which the detection surface 13 faces (the direction indicated by the arrow X in FIGS. 3E and 13B). And it opens in one direction (direction shown by arrow Y in Drawing 3 (e) and Drawing 13 (b)) along detection surface 13, and also a direction (orthogonal direction) orthogonal to one direction along detection surface 13 It may be formed so as to open in the direction indicated by the arrow Z in FIGS. 3 (e) and 13 (b). In this case, as illustrated in FIGS. 3E and 13B, the extension portion 12 is formed so as to open to one side in one direction and to be open to one side in the orthogonal direction. It's okay. In addition, the extended portion 12 may be formed to open on both sides in one direction, for example, and may be formed to open on both sides in the orthogonal direction. In the gas sensor 2 illustrated in FIG. 3E, the sensor body 11 is arranged so that the inspection surface 13 faces the X direction, but may be arranged such that the detection surface 13 faces the Z direction, for example. .

  When the extended portion 12 opens in a plurality of directions, the sensor body 11 is arranged so that the detection surface 13 faces the outer surface of the tire 101 as illustrated in FIGS. 3B and 3D. 3C, FIG. 3E, FIG. 13A, and FIG. 13B, the detection surface 13 intersects the outer surface of the tire 101 (FIG. 3C). They may be arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other in FIG.

  When the extension part 12 opens in a plurality of directions, that is, when the extension part 12 has a plurality of opening surfaces facing in different directions, the sensor main body 11 is shown in FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, FIG. d) As illustrated in FIG. 3 (e), the inspection surface 13 may be disposed so as to face one opening surface of the extended portion 12. Moreover, the sensor main body 11 may be distribute | arranged so that the test | inspection surface 13 may face the corner | angular part of two opening surfaces which face a different direction so that it may illustrate in Fig.13 (a). Moreover, the sensor main body 11 may be distribute | arranged so that the test | inspection surface 13 may face the corner | angular part of three opening surfaces which face a different direction so that it may illustrate in FIG.13 (b).

  The gas sensor 2 may be disposed so as to face at least a partial region in the circumferential direction of the outer surface of the tire 101. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gas sensor 2 of the present embodiment is disposed so as to face the side surfaces 103 and 104 of the tire 101. For example, the gas sensor 2 may be arranged so as to face the ground contact surface 102 of the tire 101. In addition, the gas sensor 2 may be disposed so as to face both the ground contact surface 102 and the side surfaces 103 and 104 of the tire 101, for example. Although the number of gas sensors 2 may be one, for example, in this embodiment, it is plural.

  The plurality of gas sensors 2 are arranged at intervals. In the present embodiment, the plurality of gas sensors 2 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 around the axis A1 of the tire 101. The plurality of gas sensors 2 arranged in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 may be arranged at unequal intervals, for example, but are arranged at equal intervals in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, two gas sensors 2 are arranged in the circumferential direction of the tire 101.

  For example, the gas sensor 2 may be disposed to face only one side surface 103 of the tire 101, but in this embodiment, the gas sensor 2 is disposed to face both side surfaces 103 and 104 of the tire 101. For example, the gas sensor 2 facing the one side surface 103 and the gas sensor 2 facing the other side surface 104 may be shifted from each other in the circumferential direction of the tire 101, but in the present embodiment, they are positioned so as to match each other. To do.

  The tire inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a moving unit 3. The moving means 3 relatively moves the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 so that the gas sensor 2 moves along the outer surface of the tire 101. The moving means 3 may move the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 relatively so that the distance from the outer surface of the tire 101 to the gas sensor 2 is kept constant. The relative moving direction of the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 by the moving means 3 may be arbitrary. The moving means 3 of the present embodiment relatively moves the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 around the axis A1 of the tire 101.

  The moving means 3 may move the gas sensor 2 along the outer surface of the tire 101, for example. In this case, the moving unit 3 may include, for example, a robot arm that moves the gas sensor 2 and a computer that controls the robot arm so that the gas sensor 2 moves according to the shape of the outer surface of the tire 101. The moving means 3 of the present embodiment moves the tire 101 so that the gas sensor 2 moves along the outer surface of the tire 101. More specifically, the moving means 3 of the present embodiment is configured by a rotation drive unit 3A that rotates the tire 101 about its axis A1. The specific configuration of the rotation driving unit 3A may be arbitrary. The rotational drive unit 3A of the present embodiment is configured by a stepping motor capable of grasping the rotational position of the tire 101.

  The rotation drive unit 3A may be connected to a table on which the tire 101 is placed, for example. The rotational drive unit 3 </ b> A of the present embodiment is connected to a first lid unit 105 that closes the opening of the tire 101. Thereby, axis A1 of tire 101 and axis A2 of rotation drive part 3A can be made to correspond easily.

Although the gas sensor 2 of this embodiment does not move, you may move along the outer surface of the tire 101, for example. That is, the moving means 3 includes, for example, the rotation drive unit 3A that rotates the tire 101, and the gas sensor 2 along the outer surface of the tire 101 in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the outer surface of the tire 101 (the radial direction or axis of the tire 101 A gas sensor moving unit that moves in the direction) may be included. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the gas sensor 2 is disposed so as to face the side surfaces 103 and 104 of the tire 101, the gas sensor moving unit may move the gas sensor 2 in the radial direction of the tire 101. For example, when the gas sensor 2 is disposed so as to face the ground contact surface 102 of the tire 101, the gas sensor moving unit may move the gas sensor 2 in the axial direction of the tire 101.
A plurality of gas sensors 2 may be arranged in a direction (for example, a radial direction or an axial direction of the tire 101) orthogonal to the moving direction of the outer surface of the tire 101, for example.

  The tire inspection apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a gas supply / discharge unit 4. The gas supply / discharge unit 4 includes a gas supply unit that supplies a reaction gas and a mixed gas containing the reaction gas into the tire 101. Further, the gas supply / discharge unit 4 includes a gas discharge unit that discharges the reaction gas and the mixed gas from the inside of the tire 101. In the present embodiment, the supply and discharge of gas to and from the tire 101 by the gas supply and discharge unit 4 is controlled by the PLC 15 described later. The gas supply / discharge unit 4 includes a supply source (for example, a gas cylinder) of a reaction gas and a mixed gas containing the reaction gas, a gas supply pipe that connects the supply source and the inside of the tire 101, and a gas discharge that connects the inside and the outside of the tire 101. For example, a valve (not shown) that is provided in the middle of the pipe and switches the gas flow and the flow interruption in the pipe may be appropriately combined. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the pipe 14 of the gas supply / discharge unit 4 is connected to a second lid 106 that closes the opening of the tire 101. The pipe 14 of the gas supply / exhaust unit 4 also serves as a gas supply pipe and a gas discharge pipe.

As shown in FIG. 1, the tire inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a position detection unit 5, a determination unit 6, and a leak position specifying unit 7.
The position detection means 5 detects the position of the gas sensor 2 on the outer surface of the tire 101 based on the relative movement time or movement distance between the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 by the movement means 3. The position detection means 5 of this embodiment detects the position of the gas sensor 2 in the circumferential direction of the tire 101. Further, when the gas sensor 2 moves in the radial direction or the axial direction of the tire 101, the position detection unit 5 may detect the position of the gas sensor 2 in the radial direction or the axial direction of the tire 101, for example. The position detection means 5 of this embodiment detects the position of each of the plurality of gas sensors 2.

  The position detection means 5 of the present embodiment is configured by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) 15 and a rotation drive unit 3A. The PLC 15 is configured as a control unit that controls various operations of the tire inspection device 1 and a data management unit that manages various data necessary for the tire inspection device 1. The PLC 15 detects the position of the gas sensor 2 on the outer surface of the tire 101 based on the rotation position data of the tire 101 sent from the rotation driving unit 3A. The PLC 15 also controls the operation (drive, stop, speed adjustment, etc.) of the rotation drive unit 3A.

  The determination unit 6 determines whether or not a gas leak has occurred in the tire 101 based on the concentration of the reaction gas detected by the gas sensor 2. When the concentration of the reaction gas detected by the gas sensor 2 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value, the determination unit 6 determines that “the gas leaks in the tire 101 (the tire 101 has no defects such as holes)”. . Further, when the concentration of the reaction gas detected by the gas sensor 2 is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, the determination unit 6 indicates that “the gas leaked in the tire 101 (the tire 101 has a defect such as a hole)”. judge.

  The determination means 6 of this embodiment is composed of a PLC 15 and a gas measurement unit 16. The gas measuring unit 16 is connected to each gas sensor 2. The gas measurement unit 16 converts the electrical signal (voltage value) output from each gas sensor 2 into the concentration of the reaction gas. The reference data for converting the electrical signal into the concentration of the reaction gas may be stored in the gas measurement unit 16, for example, but is stored in the PLC 15 in the present embodiment. Therefore, when the gas measurement unit 16 converts the electrical signal into the concentration of the reaction gas, the reference data is sent from the PLC 15 to the gas measurement unit 16. The concentration (or voltage value) of the reaction gas converted in the gas measuring unit 16 is sent to the PLC 15 in a state associated with each gas sensor 2.

  The PLC 15 stores in advance threshold data for determining whether or not a gas leak has occurred in the tire 101. The threshold value may be a concentration of the reaction gas or a voltage value. The PLC 15 compares the concentration (or voltage value) of the reaction gas sent from the gas measurement unit 16 with the above threshold value, and determines whether or not a gas leak has occurred in the tire 101.

  The gas measuring unit 16 may include a display unit that displays the concentration of the reaction gas, for example. For example, the voltage value output from the gas sensor 2 may be displayed on the display unit of the gas measurement unit 16. In the present embodiment, a voltmeter 17 is connected to the gas measurement unit 16. The voltage value output from the gas sensor 2 is displayed on the voltmeter 17.

  The leak position specifying means 7 determines the position of the gas sensor 2 detected by the position detection means 5 (the gas sensor 2 with respect to the outer surface of the tire 101) when the above-described determination means 6 determines that “the gas leaks in the tire 101”. ) And the concentration of the reaction gas detected by the gas sensor 2 are associated with each other, and the position where the gas leak has occurred in the tire 101 is specified. The leak position specifying means 7 of this embodiment is configured by a PLC 15.

  In the present embodiment, the PLC 15 associates the position of the gas sensor 2 with the concentration of the reaction gas detected by the gas sensor 2 regardless of the presence or absence of gas leakage. The associated data is sent to a PC (personal computer) 18 and stored in the storage unit of the PC 18 or displayed on the display unit of the PC 18. Data (for example, an identification number) for specifying the inspected tire 101 may be associated with the associated data.

In the present embodiment, the PLC 15 may send the associated data to various peripheral devices 19 when the position where the gas leak occurs in the tire 101 is specified.
The peripheral device 19 includes, for example, an additional tire inspection device 50 described later, a sorting device that distributes the tire 101 into a non-defective product (the tire 101 having no defect) and a defective product (the tire 101 having the defect), and various types of manufacturing the tire 101. It may be a manufacturing device. When the peripheral device 19 is a sorting device, the sorting device can efficiently sort the tire 101 into a good product and a defective product based on the data sent from the PLC 15. When the peripheral device 19 is a variety of manufacturing apparatuses, the PLC 15 can send the associated data to the manufacturing apparatus related to the gas leak position in the tire 101, so that the corresponding manufacturing apparatus can be repaired at an early stage. .

The tire inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment constitutes a tire inspection system together with the additional tire inspection apparatus 50 shown in FIGS. 4-7.
The additional tire inspection device 50 covers the partial area of the outer surface of the tire 101 and inspects for gas leakage in the partial area. The additional tire inspection device 50 includes a gas sensor 51 (hereinafter referred to as the second gas sensor 51) having the same function as the gas sensor 2 (hereinafter also referred to as the first gas sensor 2) of the tire inspection device 1 described above.

  The second gas sensor 51 includes a sensor main body 52 similar to the first gas sensor 2 of the tire inspection apparatus 1 and a cover portion 53 attached to the detection surface 54 side of the sensor main body 52. The sensor body 52 is disposed such that the detection surface 54 faces the outer surface of the tire 101. The cover portion 53 is formed in a bowl shape surrounding the detection surface 54 and covers a partial region of the outer surface of the tire 101. The opening end 55 (55A, 55B) of the cover portion 53 is in contact with the outer surface of the tire 101. The opening end 55 of the cover portion 53 is preferably formed so that no gap is formed between the outer end surface of the tire 101 and the gap is reduced. The opening end 55 of the cover portion 53 may be formed of a soft material such as rubber.

  The additional tire inspection device 50 according to the present embodiment includes a first additional inspection device 50A illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 and a second additional inspection device 50B illustrated in FIGS. Compared with the second gas sensor 51B of the second additional inspection device 50B, the second gas sensor 51A of the first additional inspection device 50A has a larger area on the outer surface of the tire 101 covered by the cover portion 53.

  In the second gas sensor 51 </ b> A of the first additional inspection apparatus 50 </ b> A shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cover portion 53 </ b> A covers the entire partial region in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 on the outer surface of the tire 101. Specifically, the cover portion 53 </ b> A covers the ground contact surface 102 of the tire 101 and the pair of side surfaces 103 and 104 located on both sides thereof in a part of the circumferential direction of the tire 101. For this reason, the cover part 53 </ b> A in the first additional inspection device 50 </ b> A is formed in a strip shape extending in the arrangement direction of the one side surface 103, the ground contact surface 102, and the other side surface 104 of the tire 101.

  The cover portion 53A in the first additional inspection apparatus 50A is formed in a bellows shape so as to elastically expand and contract in the arrangement direction of the one side surface 103, the grounding surface 102, and the other side surface 104, or an elastic material such as rubber. Or may be formed. In this case, the cover portion 53A can be held on the tire 101 by the elastic force of the cover portion 53A. Further, the cover portion 53A can be made to correspond to a plurality of types of tires 101 having different sizes.

  In the second gas sensor 51 </ b> B of the second additional inspection apparatus 50 </ b> B shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the cover portion 53 </ b> B covers a small partial region of the outer surface of the tire 101. Specifically, the opening end 55B of the cover portion 53B in the second additional inspection apparatus 50B is formed flat with no external force acting on the opening end 55B. That is, the cover part 53B in the second additional inspection device 50B is formed so as to cover an area of the outer surface of the tire 101 that is flat or small in curvature. The opening end 55B of the cover portion 53B illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is formed in an annular shape, but may be formed in an arbitrary shape such as a rectangular shape.

  The additional tire inspection device 50 may include, in addition to the second gas sensor 51 described above, a gas supply / discharge unit 4, a position detection unit 5, a determination unit 6 (see FIG. 1) and the like similar to the tire inspection device 1. Further, the additional tire inspection device 50 may include a PLC 15, a gas measurement unit 16, a voltmeter 17, and a PC 18 (see FIG. 1) similar to the tire inspection device 1. As in the case of the tire inspection apparatus 1, the PLC 15 in the additional tire inspection apparatus 50 may send data specifying the position where gas leakage has occurred in the tire 101 to various peripheral devices 19 (see FIG. 1). .

Next, a tire inspection method using the tire inspection system of the present embodiment will be described.
In the tire inspection method of the present embodiment, first, the tire inspection apparatus 1 is used to inspect the gas leak in the tire 101. As shown in FIG. 11, the tire inspection method using the tire inspection apparatus 1 includes a closing step S1, a filling step S2, and a detection step S3. The tire inspection method using the tire inspection apparatus 1 also includes a movement step S4.
In the closing step S1, the opening of the tire 101 is closed. The closing step S <b> 1 of the present embodiment is performed by closing the opening of the tire 101 with the lid portions 105 and 106. In the filling step S <b> 2, the tire 101 is filled with gas (reactive gas or mixed gas containing this). The filling step S2 may be performed at least after the closing step S1. The filling step S <b> 2 of the present embodiment is performed by the gas supply / discharge unit 4.

In the detection step S3, the gas filled in the tire 101 is detected in the atmosphere outside the tire 101. The detection step S3 may be performed at least after the filling step S2 is started. Gas detection in the detection step S3 of the present embodiment is performed by the first gas sensor 2.
In the moving step S4, the tire 101 and the first gas sensor 2 are relatively moved so that the first gas sensor 2 moves along the outer surface of the tire 101. The moving step S4 of the present embodiment is performed by the rotation driving unit 3A (moving means 3). The movement step S4 may be performed at least when the detection step S3 is performed. That is, the movement step S4 may be started before the execution of the detection step S3 as illustrated in FIG. 11, or may be started simultaneously with the detection step S3, for example.

  In the tire inspection method using the tire inspection apparatus 1, the tire 101 is rotated about its axis A <b> 1 so that the first gas sensor 2 moves along the outer surface of the tire 101. For this reason, in the tire inspection apparatus 1, when gas leaks from the tire 101, at least a gas leak position (gas leak region) in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 can be specified.

  Thereafter, the additional tire inspection device 50 is used to inspect for gas leakage in a partial region of the outer surface of the tire 101. The inspection of gas leakage by the additional tire inspection device 50 may be performed only on the tire 101 that is determined to have gas leakage by the tire inspection device 1 described above. The region of the outer surface of the tire 101 covered by the additional tire inspection device 50 (the cover portion 53 of the second gas sensor 51) can be determined based on the data of the gas leak position specified in the tire inspection device 1. Thereby, the gas leak test | inspection using the additional tire test | inspection apparatus 50 can be performed efficiently. Further, the additional tire inspection device 50 can specify the gas leak position in the tire 101 in more detail.

In this embodiment, when inspecting the gas leakage of the tire 101 using the additional tire inspection device 50, first, the gas leakage position (gas leakage region) in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 using the first additional inspection device 50A. Identify in more detail. At this time, the presence or absence of gas leakage in the region of the outer surface of the tire 101 covered with the second gas sensor 51A may be inspected while changing the position of the second gas sensor 51A of the first additional inspection device 50A in the circumferential direction of the tire 101.
Thereafter, the gas leak position in the arrangement direction of the one side surface 103, the ground contact surface 102, and the other side surface 104 of the tire 101 is specified in more detail using the second additional inspection device 50B. At this time, the tire covered with the second gas sensor 51B while changing the position of the second gas sensor 51B of the second additional inspection device 50B within the region of the outer surface of the tire 101 where gas leakage is detected by the first additional inspection device 50A. What is necessary is just to test | inspect the presence or absence of the gas leak in the area | region of the outer surface of 101. FIG.

  As described above, according to the tire inspection device 1, the additional tire inspection device 50, and the tire inspection method of the present embodiment, the gas leaked from the tire 101 is detected by the gas sensors 2 and 51. For this reason, compared with the conventional inspection method which confirms the gas leak of the tire 101 by visual observation, generation | occurrence | production of a human error can be suppressed and the gas leak of the tire 101 can be test | inspected easily and reliably. Further, since it is not necessary to wet the tire 101 as in the conventional inspection method, a step of drying the tire 101 (drying step) is unnecessary, and the gas leak of the tire 101 can be inspected in a short time and easily.

  Further, since the drying process is not necessary, it is possible to efficiently repair the defect of the tire 101. The tire 101 can be repaired using a conventionally known repair kit or member. The repair of the tire 101 may be performed manually, for example, or may be performed by a robot, for example.

  Moreover, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the gas sensor 2 is arranged in multiple numbers at intervals. For this reason, it becomes possible to grasp | ascertain the area | region where the gas has leaked among the outer surfaces of the tire 101. FIG. In particular, in the present embodiment, the gas sensors 2 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 around the axis A1 of the tire 101. For this reason, the region of gas leakage in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 on the outer surface of the tire 101 can be grasped. Moreover, compared with the case where there is only one gas sensor, the gas leaked from the tire can be detected in a shorter time. Moreover, even if the tire has a large size, the gas leaking from the tire can be detected in a short time.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the gas sensor 2 (particularly the detection surface 13) is arranged so as to face the side surfaces 103 and 104 of the tire 101. For this reason, the gas leak in the side surface 103 of the tire 101 can be particularly inspected. Further, when the gas sensor 2 (particularly the detection surface 13) is disposed so as to face the ground contact surface 102 of the tire 101, gas leakage on the ground contact surface 102 of the tire 101 can be particularly inspected. That is, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to inspect for gas leakage according to the outer surface portion (the ground contact surface 102 and the side surfaces 103 and 104) of the tire. In addition, it is also possible to specify a more detailed gas leak position in a short time by providing the gas sensor 2 to the extent that the number of the gas sensors 2 is increased to cover substantially the entire tire 101.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 and the tire inspection method according to the present embodiment, the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 are moved relative to each other so that the gas sensor 2 moves along the outer surface of the tire 101, and the tire 101 is moved by the gas sensor 2. The gas leaking from can be detected. Thereby, the gas leak position in the outer surface of the tire 101 can be easily grasped in a short time.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 and the tire inspection method according to the present embodiment, the gas 101 leaks from the tire 101 while the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 move relative to each other about the axis A1 of the tire 101. it can. Thereby, the gas leak position in the circumferential direction can be efficiently grasped | ascertained among the outer surfaces of the tire 101 formed in the annular | circular shape or the cylindrical shape.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 and the tire inspection method of the present embodiment, the tire 101 rotates around its axis A1. For this reason, compared with the case where the gas sensor 2 is moved with respect to the tire 101, the structure of the moving means 3 which implement | achieves the relative movement of the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 can be simplified. Thereby, the manufacturing cost reduction and size reduction of the tire inspection apparatus 1 can be achieved.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of gas sensors 2 are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 around the axis A1, and the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2 have the axis A1 of the tire 101. Move relative to the center. For this reason, the area | region to test | inspect with the one gas sensor 2 in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 can be made small. Therefore, compared with the case where only one gas sensor 2 is disposed in the circumferential direction of the tire 101, the movement amount (rotation angle) of the tire 101 is suppressed to be small, and the entire outer surface (entire circumferential direction) of the tire 101 is shorter. Can be inspected in time.

  Moreover, according to the tire inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the position detection means 5, the determination means 6, and the leak position specifying means 7 are provided. Thereby, the gas leak position in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 can be specified reliably.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the gas sensor 2 includes a sensor main body 11 that detects gas, and an expansion portion 12 that has an opening having a larger area than the sensor main body 11. For this reason, the gas sensor 2 can detect gas leakage in the tire 101 in a wider range than the sensor body 11 even if the sensor body 11 (for example, the detection surface 13) is small.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the gas sensor 2 is disposed to face both side surfaces 103 and 104 of the tire 101. For this reason, compared with the case where the gas sensor 2 is arranged facing only one side surface 103 of the tire 101, the gas leakage of the entire outer surface of the tire 101 can be inspected in a shorter time.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, in addition to the rotation of the tire 101, when the gas sensor 2 moves in the radial direction or the axial direction of the tire 101 along the outer surface of the tire 101, a smaller number is required. The entire outer surface of the tire 101 can be inspected by the gas sensor 2. In addition, it is possible to easily perform a leak inspection of a plurality of types of tires 101 having different sizes.

  The tire inspection apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a gas supply / discharge unit 4. For this reason, even during the inspection of the gas leak of the tire 101 by the gas sensor 2, the amount of gas that is supplied into the tire 101 and leaks to the outside from the defect of the tire 101 (gas flow rate per unit time) Can be prevented or suppressed. Further, by increasing the gas pressure in the tire 101 and increasing the amount of gas leaking from the tire 101, it becomes possible to detect the gas leak by the gas sensor 2 in a short time.

  Further, according to the tire inspection system and the tire inspection method of the present embodiment, after inspecting gas leakage in the entire tire 101 using the tire inspection device 1, based on the inspection result of the gas leakage of the tire 101 in the tire inspection device 1. Thus, gas leakage in a partial region of the tire 101 can be inspected using the additional tire inspection device 50. Thereby, the gas leak position in the tire 101 can be identified efficiently and strictly.

  In the tire inspection device 1 and the additional tire inspection device 50 of the present embodiment, when a gas having a low viscosity (for example, a gas having a lower viscosity than air) is selected as a reaction gas filled in the tire 101, the viscosity is low. Compared with a high gas (for example, air), the amount (gas flow rate) of the gas filled in the tire 101 leaks from the tire 101 to the outside increases. For this reason, finer defects in the tire 101 can be more easily detected by the gas sensors 2 and 51.

  Moreover, in the tire inspection apparatus 1 and the tire inspection system of this embodiment, the gas leak of the tire 101 can be detected in a short time as described above. For this reason, the tire inspection apparatus 1 and the tire inspection system can be incorporated into the tire 101 production line.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the tire inspection apparatus 1 </ b> D of this embodiment includes a gas sensor 2 </ b> D similarly to the tire inspection apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment includes a housing portion 8D.
The accommodating portion 8D accommodates the tire 101. The accommodating portion 8D may be configured to seal the space in the accommodating portion 8D with respect to the outside, for example, but may be configured to allow some air to flow in and out of the accommodating portion 8D.

  The accommodating portion 8D may be configured to surround the entire tire 101, for example. The housing portion 8D of the present embodiment is configured by a hood 22D that covers the tire 101 disposed on the base surface 21D from above. The open end of the hood 22D that opens to the base surface 21D side may be in close contact with the base surface 21D as illustrated in FIG. 9, but for example, there is a slight gap between the base surface 21D and the base surface 21D. Then, the base surface 21D may be contacted. In the present embodiment, the hood 22D is disposed on the base surface 21D so as to be lifted from the base surface 21D.

  The specific shape of the hood 22D may be arbitrary. The hood 22D of the present embodiment includes a top plate portion 23D that is located above the base surface 21D with a space therebetween, and a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 24D that extends from the periphery of the top plate portion 23D in the thickness direction of the top plate portion 23D. Have. That is, the hood 22D of the present embodiment is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape.

The tire 101 is arranged in the housing portion 8D so that its axis A1 is orthogonal to the base surface 21D. For this reason, the ground contact surface 102 of the tire 101 disposed in the housing portion 8D faces the peripheral wall portion 24D of the hood 22D. Further, one side surface 103 of the tire 101 faces the top plate portion 23D of the hood 22D. Further, the other side surface 104 of the tire 101 is opposed to the base surface 21D. In the present embodiment, the tire 101 is disposed so as to contact the base surface 21D. Specifically, the tire 101 is disposed such that the other side surface 104 is in contact with the base surface 21D.
In a state where the tire 101 arranged on the base surface 21D is covered with the hood 22D, the axis A1 of the tire 101 and the axis A3 of the hood 22D formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape may be positioned so as to be shifted from each other, for example. For example, they may match each other as shown in FIG.

The gas sensor 2D has a detection surface 13D for detecting gas, similarly to the sensor body 11 (see FIG. 3) of the gas sensor 2 (first gas sensor 2) of the first embodiment. The gas sensor 2D detects gas leaked from the inside of the tire 101 accommodated in the accommodating portion 8D.
The gas sensor 2D is provided in the housing portion 8D. The gas sensor 2D may be disposed, for example, inside the housing portion 8D. Gas sensor 2D of this embodiment is attached to accommodating part 8D. Specifically, the gas sensor 2D is attached to a hood 22D that constitutes the accommodating portion 8D. The gas sensor 2D is attached to the hood 22D so that the detection surface 13D faces the inside of the housing portion 8D.

  For example, the gas sensor 2D may be attached to the peripheral wall portion 24D of the hood 22D. In this case, the detection surface 13D of the gas sensor 2D can be opposed to the ground contact surface 102 of the tire 101. The gas sensor 2D of the present embodiment is attached to the top plate portion 23D of the hood 22D. For this reason, the detection surface 13D of the gas sensor 2D can be opposed to the one side surface 103 of the tire 101.

  The number of gas sensors 2D may be one, for example, but in the present embodiment, there are a plurality. The plurality of gas sensors 2D may be arranged at least at intervals. In the present embodiment, the plurality of gas sensors 2D are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 around the axis A1 of the tire 101. Specifically, the plurality of gas sensors 2D are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction of the hood 22D with the axis A3 of the hood 22D formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape as the center. The plurality of gas sensors 2D arranged in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 and the hood 22D may be arranged at unequal intervals, for example, but are arranged at equal intervals in the present embodiment.

  The tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment includes a stirring unit 9D. The stirring means 9D stirs the air in the housing portion 8D. The specific configuration of the stirring means 9D may be arbitrary. The stirring means 9D of the present embodiment is a fan 25D arranged in the housing portion 8D. The fan 25D may be disposed on the base surface 21D, for example. The fan 25D of this embodiment is attached to the hood 22D. The fan 25D may be attached to the peripheral wall portion 24D of the hood 22D, for example, but in this embodiment, the fan 25D is attached to the top plate portion 23D of the hood 22D.

  The fan 25D may be arranged so that air flows in an arbitrary direction such as a radial direction or an axial direction of the hood 22D or the tire 101, for example. The fan 25D of the present embodiment is arranged at a position away from the axis A1 of the hood 22D and the tire 101 so as to generate an air flow in the circumferential direction of the hood 22D and the tire 101. For this reason, in this embodiment, the plurality of gas sensors 2D described above are arranged at intervals in the flow direction of air generated by the fan 25D.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment may include the same gas supply / discharge section 4 and determination means 6 as in the first embodiment. Further, the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment may include the PLC 15, the gas measurement unit 16, the voltmeter 17, the PC 18 and the like similar to those of the first embodiment.

In the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment, the PLC 15 may associate data (for example, an identification number) specifying the inspected tire 101 with data indicating the presence or absence of gas leakage in the corresponding tire 101. The associated data may be sent to the PC 18 and stored in the storage unit of the PC 18 or displayed on the display unit of the PC 18.
Further, in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the determination unit 6 determines that gas leakage has occurred in the tire 101, the PLC 15 stores the data associated with the various peripheral devices 19 as described above. It may be sent out.

  Tire inspection device 1D of this embodiment may constitute a tire inspection system with the additional tire inspection device 50 (refer to Drawing 4-7) similar to a first embodiment.

Next, a tire inspection method using the tire inspection system of the present embodiment will be described.
In the tire inspection method of the present embodiment, first, gas leakage in the tire 101 is inspected using the tire inspection apparatus 1D.
As shown in FIG. 12, the tire inspection method using the tire inspection apparatus 1D includes a closing step S1, a filling step S2, and a detection step S3 similar to the tire inspection method of the first embodiment. In addition, the tire inspection method using the tire inspection apparatus 1D includes an arrangement step S5. The tire inspection method using the tire inspection apparatus 1D also includes the agitation step S6.

In the arrangement step S5, the tire 101 is arranged in the housing portion 8D. In the arrangement step S5 of the present embodiment, the tire 101 is covered with the hood 22D after the tire 101 is arranged on the base surface 21D. The placement step S5 is not limited to being performed between the closing step S1 and the filling step S2 as illustrated in FIG. 12, but is performed at least after the closing step S1 and before the detecting step S3. Just do it.
In the agitation step S6, the air in the accommodating portion 8D is agitated. The stirring step S6 of the present embodiment is performed by the fan 25D (stirring means 9D). Stirring step S6 should just be performed at least when performing detection step S3. That is, the stirring step S6 may be started before the detection step S3 is performed as illustrated in FIG. 12, or may be started simultaneously with the detection step S3, for example.

  In the tire inspection method using the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment, the air in the housing portion 8D is stirred by the fan 25D that is the stirring means 9D in a state where the tire 101 is disposed in the housing portion 8D. For this reason, when gas leaks from the tire 101, the gas leaked from the tire 101 can be efficiently diffused in the housing portion 8D. That is, the concentration of gas leaking from the tire 101 can be made uniform. Thereby, even if gas sensor 2D (especially detection surface 13D) is located away from the outer surface of tire 101, gas leaked from tire 101 by gas sensor 2D can be detected in a short time. That is, the presence or absence of gas leakage in the tire 101 can be inspected and determined in a short time.

  Thereafter, the additional tire inspection device 50 is used to inspect for gas leakage in a partial region of the outer surface of the tire 101. The inspection of gas leakage by the additional tire inspection device 50 may be performed only on the tire 101 that has been determined to have gas leakage by the tire inspection device 1D described above. By performing the gas leak inspection by the additional tire inspection device 50, the gas leak position in the tire 101 can be specified.

In this embodiment, when inspecting the gas leakage of the tire 101 using the additional tire inspection device 50, first, the gas leakage position (gas leakage region) in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 using the first additional inspection device 50A. Is identified. At this time, the presence or absence of gas leakage in the region of the outer surface of the tire 101 covered with the second gas sensor 51A may be inspected while changing the position of the second gas sensor 51A of the first additional inspection device 50A in the circumferential direction of the tire 101.
Thereafter, the gas leak position in the arrangement direction of the one side surface 103, the ground contact surface 102, and the other side surface 104 of the tire 101 is specified in more detail using the second additional inspection device 50B. At this time, the tire covered with the second gas sensor 51B while changing the position of the second gas sensor 51B of the second additional inspection device 50B within the region of the outer surface of the tire 101 where gas leakage is detected by the first additional inspection device 50A. What is necessary is just to test | inspect the presence or absence of the gas leak in the area | region of the outer surface of 101. FIG.

As described above, according to the tire inspection apparatus 1D and the tire inspection method of the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.
Moreover, according to the tire inspection apparatus 1D and the tire inspection method of the present embodiment, the tire 101 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 8D. For this reason, even if the distance from the outer surface of the tire 101 to the detection surface 13D of the gas sensor 2D is long, the gas leaked from the tire 101 by the gas sensor 2D without being affected by the atmosphere (for example, wind) around the tire 101 is efficiently obtained. Moreover, it can detect reliably.

  Moreover, in the tire inspection apparatus 1D and the tire inspection method of the present embodiment, the gas leaked from the tire 101 is detected in a short time by the gas sensor 2D by stirring the air in the housing portion 8D that houses the tire 101. Can do. Further, the gas leaked from the tire 101 can be detected by the gas sensor 2D without reducing the pressure in the housing portion 8D. Therefore, the gas leak inspection of the tire 101 can be performed in a short time, and the tire inspection apparatus 1D can be reduced in size and cost.

  Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment, the stirring unit 9D that stirs the air in the housing portion 8D is configured by the fan 25D. For this reason, the position and direction of the fan 25D in the housing portion 8D can be freely set, and the flow direction of air generated in the housing portion 8D by the fan 25D can be arbitrarily set. Thus, for example, by disposing the fan 25D upstream of the gas sensor 2D in the air flow direction, the gas leaked from the tire 101 can be actively directed from the fan 25D to the gas sensor 2D. Therefore, the gas leak inspection of the tire 101 can be performed in a shorter time.

  In the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment, a plurality of gas sensors 2D are arranged at intervals in the air flow direction generated by the fan 25D. For this reason, it becomes possible to grasp | ascertain the gas leak position in the tire 101 using the shift | offset | difference (time difference) of the timing which detects the gas leaked from the tire 101 between several gas sensor 2D. For example, the gas sensor 2D located on the upstream side in the air flow direction detects gas at a timing earlier than the gas sensor 2D located on the downstream side. Thereby, it can be grasped that the gas leak position in the tire 101 is located closer to the gas sensor 2D located on the upstream side than the gas sensor 2D located on the downstream side. In the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment, since the plurality of gas sensors 2D are arranged in the circumferential direction of the tire 101, the gas leak position in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 can be grasped.

Further, in the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment, the housing portion 8D is configured by a hood 22D that covers the tire 101 disposed on the base surface 21D from above. By simply lifting the hood 22D from the base surface 21D, the tire 101 can be easily put in and out of the housing portion 8D.
In the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the present embodiment, the gas sensor 2D is attached to the hood 22D. For this reason, the gas sensor 2D can be arranged at an appropriate position where the gas leaked from the tire 101 can be detected only by arranging the hood 22D on the base surface 21D.
From the above, the gas leak inspection of the tire 101 can be easily performed.

[Third embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the present embodiment, the same components as those in the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the tire inspection apparatus 1E of the present embodiment includes a gas sensor 2D and a housing portion 8D, similarly to the tire inspection apparatus 1D of the second embodiment. The configuration and arrangement of the accommodating portion 8D and the gas sensor 2D and the arrangement of the tire 101 in the accommodating portion 8D are the same as in the second embodiment. Moreover, although not shown in figure, the tire inspection apparatus 1E of this embodiment may be equipped with the gas supply / discharge part 4 similar to 2nd embodiment, the determination means 6 (refer FIG. 8), etc. Further, the tire inspection apparatus 1E of the present embodiment may include the PLC 15, the gas measurement unit 16, the voltmeter 17, the PC 18 and the like similar to those of the first embodiment.

The tire inspection apparatus 1E of the present embodiment includes the same rotational drive unit 3A as that of the first embodiment. The rotational drive unit 3A rotates the tire 101 about its axis A1 as in the first embodiment. The gas sensor 2D is arranged so as to face the outer surface (one side surface 103) of the tire 101 as in the second embodiment. For this reason, the rotational drive unit 3A of the present embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in that the gas sensor 2D moves in the circumferential direction of the tire 101 along the outer surface (one side surface 103) of the tire 101. The moving means for relatively moving the tire 101 and the gas sensor 2D around the axis A1 is configured.
The rotational drive unit 3A may be disposed, for example, outside the housing unit 8D, but is housed in the housing unit 8D together with the tire 101 in the present embodiment.

  The rotational drive unit 3A is connected to the PLC 15 as in the first embodiment. That is, the rotation drive unit 3A and the PLC 15 constitute the same position detection means 5 as in the first embodiment. Moreover, PLC15 also comprises the leak position specific | specification means 7 similar to 1st embodiment.

  Moreover, in the tire inspection apparatus 1E according to the present embodiment, the rotation driving unit 3A rotates the tire disposed in the housing unit 8D. Thereby, the air in the accommodating portion 8D can be stirred by flowing in the rotation direction of the tire 101. That is, the rotational drive unit 3A of the present embodiment can also function as an agitation unit that generates an air flow in the circumferential direction of the hood 22D and the tire 101, like the fan 25D of the second embodiment.

The tire inspection apparatus 1E of the present embodiment may constitute a tire inspection system together with the additional tire inspection apparatus 50 (see FIGS. 3-6) similar to the first embodiment.
Moreover, in the tire inspection apparatus 1E of this embodiment, it is possible to implement the tire inspection method similar to the first and second embodiments.

  As described above, according to the tire inspection apparatus 1E of the present embodiment, the same effects as those of the first and second embodiments can be obtained.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  In the tire inspection apparatus 1E of the third embodiment, the stirring means 9D may include, for example, the fan 25D of the second embodiment in addition to the rotation drive unit 3A.

  The tire inspection apparatuses 1D and 1E according to the second and third embodiments may include, for example, a vacuum pump that depressurizes the inside of the housing portion 8D. The time required for the tire gas leak inspection can be shortened only by slightly reducing the pressure inside the accommodating portion 8D with an inexpensive vacuum pump.

In the tire inspection apparatuses 1D and 1E according to the second and third embodiments, the gas leakage inspection can be performed in a short time by stirring the inside of the housing portion 8D by the stirring means (fan 25D, rotation drive unit 3A, etc.). However, when it is necessary to specify the position of the gas leak, for example, it may be possible not to use the stirring means. That is, the tire inspection apparatus of the present invention may include only the housing portion and the gas sensor, for example.
In this case, the gas leak position in the tire is determined based on the detection amount of the gas detected by each gas sensor (for example, the gas concentration) and the timing at which each gas sensor detects the gas, using a plurality of gas sensors provided in the housing. Can be specified. The greater the number of gas sensors, the more accurately the gas leak position can be specified. For example, the gas leak position can be specified in a shorter time by providing the gas sensor so as to cover substantially the entire tire.

In the present invention, when inspecting the gas leakage of the tire, the opening of the tire may be closed by assembling a wheel corresponding to the tire instead of the lid portion, for example. That is, the closing step of the tire inspection method of the present invention may be performed by attaching a wheel to the tire. When using a wheel, a gas leak test can be performed in the same state as when using a tire. For this reason, not only defects in the tire itself, but also defects occurring when the tire and the wheel are assembled, and gas leakage from the rim (the boundary between the tire and the wheel) caused by the compatibility between the tire and the wheel It can be detected.
On the other hand, when the lid portion as in the above embodiment is used at the time of the tire gas leak inspection, the assembly of the tire and the wheel becomes unnecessary, and therefore the tire gas leak inspection can be easily performed.
Which of the lid and the wheel is used during the gas leak inspection of the tire may be determined according to the purpose of the gas leak inspection.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1D, 1E ... Tire inspection apparatus, 2, 2D ... Gas sensor, 3 ... Movement means, 3A ... Rotation drive part, 4 ... Gas supply discharge part, 5 ... Position detection means, 6 ... Determination means, 7 ... Leakage position specification Means, 8D ... accommodating part, 9D ... stirring means, 21D ... base surface, 22D ... hood, 23D ... top plate part, 24D ... peripheral wall part, 25D ... fan, 50 ... additional tire inspection device, 50A ... first additional inspection device , 50B, second additional inspection device, 51, 51A, 51B, second gas sensor, 101, tire, 102, contact surface (outer surface), 103, 104, side surface (outer surface), 105, 106, lid, A1, tire. 101 axis, A2 ... axis of rotation drive unit 3A, A3 ... axis of hood 22D, S1 ... closing step, S2 ... filling step, S3 ... detecting step, S4 ... moving step, S5 ... arranging step, S6 ...拌 step

Claims (11)

  A tire inspection apparatus provided with a gas sensor which is arranged in the vicinity of an outer surface of a tire and detects gas filled in the tire outside the tire.   The tire inspection device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the gas sensors are arranged at intervals.   The tire inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a moving unit that relatively moves the tire and the gas sensor so that the gas sensor moves along an outer surface of the tire. A housing portion for housing the tire;
The tire inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the gas sensor is provided in a housing portion.   The tire inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas sensor is disposed so as to face at least one of a ground contact surface and a side surface of the tire. A closing step to close the tire opening;
A filling step of filling the tire with gas;
And a detection step of detecting the gas filled in the tire in the atmosphere outside the tire.   The tire inspection method according to claim 6, wherein the closing step is performed by closing an opening of the tire with a lid portion.   The tire inspection method according to claim 6, wherein the closing step is performed by attaching a wheel to the tire. The gas is a reactive gas that reacts with a gas sensor;
The tire inspection method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the detection of the reaction gas in the detection step is performed by the gas sensor.   The tire inspection method according to claim 9, further comprising a moving step of relatively moving the tire and the gas sensor so that the gas sensor moves along an outer surface of the tire. An arrangement step of arranging the tire in the housing portion is further provided,
The tire inspection method according to claim 9, wherein the gas sensor is provided in the housing portion.

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